Alec Spicer

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship.

This past summer, I interned at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio in the Commercial Middle Markets department of the Bank. Fifth Third Bank came to Florida State's Business Bash last year and I met with one of the recruiters who I instantaneously connected with. She told me what Fifth Third Bank has to offer and the positions that were available within the internship. It was the first internship that I applied for on Handshake. I was granted an interview with them at the Career Center and afterwards, I was given a second interview at the headquarters in Cincinnati. I was flown to Cincinnati on an all-expense paid trip, where I was given a tour of the Bank and the different departments. After the second round of interviews, I was offered an internship position in the Commercial Middle Markets department, where I worked tediously throughout the summer of 2018.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

I used the summer before my junior year to prepare for internship opportunities. I purchased two new suits, recreated my resume, and created a LinkedIn account, so that I could have access to recruiters. I took the time in the summer before my junior year to prepare myself for interviews, so that I would have a great possibility of obtaining my goal of an internship for the summer of 2018. I applied to over thirty companies for internships, attended numerous career fairs and went to numerous company information sessions to solidify an internship.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I used Handshake, attended Seminole Futures, and Florida State University’s Business Bash. I also reached out to recruiters that I found via LinkedIn. The biggest asset to my success was through the use of Handshake, where I was able to directly apply for interviews with companies that I previously had spoken with at the career fairs. From this, I was able to put a name to a face for many recruiters that I had spoken to.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

Responsibilities of the Commercial Middle Market team included working closely with relationship managers within the Middle Market group to ensure that we were actively maintaining relationships with current clients of Fifth Third Bank when it came to funding the loans requested for their middle market sized companies. Another important responsibility that I had was helping the relationship managers actively seek new clients by attending prospect meetings and gathering lists of potential clients to contact and researching their companies to determine whether or not they were someone that we would like to further our business operations with.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

A typical day on the job included networking with individuals from departments all across the bank, gathering potential client list for the relationship managers, and researching these companies to determine their revenue and debts outstanding to determine whether or not we saw potential in their business. From researching companies for the relationship managers to having coffee and networking with executives, every day was a different challenge that I was willing to handle.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

Major takeaways that I had from my experience were to network boldly and to always ask questions when you are unsure. Network boldly, as in not being afraid to reach out to executives of the company to learn about their role within the bank and asking them questions on how they established their position. I had the chance to speak with the President/CEO of Fifth Third Bank, Greg Carmichael, and it was an experience that I never forgot because I was able to pick his brain for tips on how to achieve a leadership position within any company. Do not be timid in asking questions, especially being in the intern role. There will be certain topics that you have never discussed before and it is fine if you are able to ask questions regarding the topic. It shows initiative and care for your position.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

My experience did help me to see what I was talented at and who I work best with. As an aid to relationship managers, my job was not behind a desk for eight hours a day. I was able to attend events outside of the office with clients and prospects while also having a balance of in office work. I enjoyed this aspect the most out of my internship experience at Fifth Third Bank. I was given real world experience within my ten weeks in Cincinnati, Ohio.